Photo Wedding Invitations

October 2014: Leigh Gutting-Lucas!

We’re excited to have Leigh for our October Bride of the Month. Leigh is such a fun spirited gal and we loved working with her. Her unique invitation was one that we had never really done before. Being able to bring her ideas to life and see the final product of her invitations is always a thrill.

The Interview:

Bekka: Leigh I have to admit we love how your invitations turned out. I felt the invitation told a story of how your big day would play out. Tell me about the process you went through in dreaming up your invitation. Where did you get your inspiration from and how did you decide on what your invitations would look like?Leigh: My friend Cami had suggested to make it a book. I love to read and felt it would be a great way of expressing who I am. Hamilton is my biggest supporter when it comes to books and reading, we have a bunch of books!

Bekka: What is your favorite part of your invitations?Leigh: The tree was my favorite, how it branched out and wrapped around the entire invitation really tied it all together.

Bekka: Was there any feature of your invitations that people complimented you on most?Leigh: The overall idea of it was appealing. I felt it really represented the both of us and how we’re kind of unusual. Guest also loved the map, because our venue was in such a remote place.

Bekka: Brides usually take the theme or a look from their invitation and incorporate it into the decor of the wedding venue. Did any part of your invitation help to create the look and feel at your venue?Leigh: Having Michelle was so handy because that isn’t my strength and she was really able to pull all of it together. Our rings were custom made and I showed Michelle and she came up with the woodland theme, then built on that to the last detail.

Bekka: When setting the tone for your event do you feel your invitations achieve that?Leigh: Absolutely, I had some family members think it was a western theme, and with my invitation I think it helped to represent the more enchanted fairytale. “Not disneyland princes or western rustic.”

Bekka: What advice would you give to brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations?Leigh: Get out and look more. I wish I would have used the pinterest board that Ruth suggested, I think it would have saved me some time and revisions.

Bekka: You had Michelle Leo Events help you in all the event planning and design. It’s no secret that we absolutely love Michelle, so tell us about your experience working with such a talented Event Planner!Leigh: It was fantastic I don’t know what I would have done without her. My sister got one when she was married out of state and it was so helpful. So for Michelle to come a long and encapsulate it and help me find great vendors was priceless. Especially Heather Nan, when she showed me her photography I was blown away and knew that is who I wanted to capture all my moments. I’ve had friends that I recommended getting a wedding planner because they are so worth it. They didn’t and when it came closer to their wedding day they were wishing they had someone to relieve some of the stress and worry.

Bekka: Looking back on your wedding day and all the beautiful memories that came from it, was there one moment that stood out more and if so what?Leigh: The bad thing that happened, not too bad but, our wedding was at Red Cliffs Ranch so it is quite a drive. Hours before our wedding there was a semi truck on fire causing major delays for our guest to get to the wedding on time. We ended up starting our ceremony late because we were trying to wait on guests to arrive. Some of the guest didn’t even make it. You plan for back up plans like rain, wardrobe mishaps, or hair/makeup but not semi truck fires! So the funny thing that happened was one of the groomsmen got the music going to “Hava Nagila” and the next thing we knew everyone was lifting our chairs. We’re not really religious, but it was very spontaneous and fun!

Bekka: Leigh is was a pleasure working with you and I’d like to thank you for taking the time to talk with me and share the details of your wedding!

See something above that you've absolutely got to have for your wedding? We're making it easy for you. Below is a list of Leigh's vendors:

September 2014: Brittany Kahn-Shifrin!

Our September Bride of the Month is Brittany Kahn-Shifrin. We’re so excited to share her elegant destination wedding at the beautiful St. Regis Deer Valley. This month is extra special because Brittany and Adam are celebrating their one-year anniversary! We are so honored to feature them and all the talented vendors like Meredith Parsons andPepper Nix that played such a big part in creating their perfect wedding.

The Interview

Bekka: Brittany, you're getting ready to celebrate your one-year anniversary. What has your first year of marriage been like?Brittany: It’s been great!! Adam and I dated for almost 7 years before getting married and we already lived together, so it didn’t feel like too much changed after we got married.

Bekka: You were married at The St. Regis Deer Valley. Does this place have a special meaning to you or did you just love how gorgeous it is?Brittany: Park City in general is a special place to me. My family has been coming to Park City since I was little, and I have so many amazing memories there! Adam and I loved being able to share this place with all of our wedding guests especially since most had never been to Utah before. The St. Regis Deer Valley is so beautiful and has amazing views that I knew would be wonderful for all of our wedding photos!

Bekka: Where did you get your inspiration from and how did you decide on what your invitations would look like?Brittany: I knew I wanted something a little more fun for our save the date. Adam actually found something online and we shared it with Ann Elizabeth and Ruth as our inspiration, and they took it from there.
For our formal invitations I wanted something classic and simple, but I wasn’t exactly sure what that would be. After meeting and talking with Ruth several times, she helped me come up with some amazing ideas for our invitations. We ended up going with a grey thermography print on a white and grey duplex invitation. Ann Elizabeth and Ruth suggested adding the grey duplex backer to our invitation, which I loved!! It added a nice touch while giving the invitations a sturdier feel. The additional pieces all worked together so nicely, and I was so happy how they turned out. Ann Elizabeth and Ruth were great to work with! They were so patient and provided so many great ideas to choose from.

Bekka: After your invitations were designed and mailed out did you feel they expressed to your guests the tone for your big day!Brittany: Yes, I did. They were simple, classic, and elegant.

Bekka: From your experience do you have any advice for brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations and were there any lesson you learned through your creative process?Brittany: It really helps to look at sample invitations online and in the studio. I didn’t know specifically what I wanted at first and going on Pinterest for inspiration was very helpful in communicating what I liked with Ann Elizabeth & Ruth.

Bekka: You hired the fabulous Meredith Parsons as your wedding planner, which we feel if you have the budget for… do it! How was your experience having someone to take care of all the details!Brittany: It was great!! Having someone help out with all the small details, recommend vendors and help your vision come to life is amazing!! She had me create a Pinterest board to pin things I liked and she added to it as well. It resulted in more than we could have asked for!!

Bekka: Your photography really tells a story and beautifully captures every precious moment. Tell us about your amazing photographer Pepper Nix and why you chose her.Brittany: I came across Pepper’s photos when I was first at the St. Regis touring the venue. I immediately fell in love with her sunset photos and couldn’t wait to work with her. She has such a fun and laid-back attitude and working with her on our wedding day was amazing! She kept Adam and I relaxed and made the whole process so easy.

Bekka: How would you describe your wedding day from start to finish?Brittany: Perfection!! It was a wonderful day and a day that we will never forget!! It snowed the day before our wedding, which was nerve racking since our ceremony was supposed to be outside. Luckily the day of our wedding, it warmed up and it was a beautiful bluebird day so we kept the ceremony outside!!

Bekka: Looking back was there anything you would have changed?Brittany: I think there are small things that I would consider changing, because I am a perfectionist. However, those are things that I don’t think anyone else would have noticed. So the best advice I could give someone else is to not sweat the small stuff, because you are probably the only one who even realized it.

Bekka: Brittany, we are just thrilled to have you as our September bride and thank you for share the details of your wedding. Congratulations on celebrating your one-year anniversary!

May 2014: Melanie Holbeck!

May flowers brings us our beautiful blushing bride Melanie Holbeck. Her destination dream wedding set place in the romantic Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort- Mazatlan and the amazing Alixann Loosle Photography captured all the perfect moments. Melanie's fun personality was such a delight when designing her custom wedding invitations and we're thrilled to feature her this month!

The Interview:

Bekka: How did Derek propose?Melanie: I remember it was a Tuesday in August. We had planned to go on a hike with his sister and her boyfriend up in Millcreek Canyon but they suddenly couldn’t make it because they had gotten a “flat tire.” We were already on our way up and decided just to go on our own. While we were hiking up the mountain, he seemed really tired and winded so I kept telling him to go a hurry it up (I didn’t know he had been hiking the trail all day to scope the best spot and bring up some supplies). Finally we got to the top of the trail and he was really nervous. I was worried something was wrong and then he said he has something to tell me. He proposed right then and there with a beautiful ring and out from behind a tree he pulled out a blanket, flowers, cups and champagne to celebrate. I must have blacked out while he was proposing because I asked him why he hadn’t gotten down on his knee, he said “I did!” see the dirt on my knee? Needless to say, I was shocked and very surprised.

After, we called our moms and families while driving down the Canyon. We were very excited to tell them, but for some odd reason I couldn’t get a hold of my mom. Derek also surprised me with reservations to my favorite Italian restaurant Cucina Tuscana. We got back home got ready and went to a lovely dinner. Once we got home, I heard a noise in the kitchen, I thought that was odd but didn’t make anything of it. Then I hear “surprise” and both of our parents, sisters and brothers were there to greet us with a champagne toast. My mom had not answered the phone earlier because she had been afraid she would ruin the surprise. It was a day filled with surprises that I will never forget.

Bekka: What made you both decide on a destination wedding?Melanie: Derek had asked my parents for permission to marry me just a few months earlier on our family trip to our favorite vacation spot in Mazatlan, Mexico. We decided to go back there since we both loved it so much and had such a great time there. My family has also been vacationing there for over 10 years so it was definitely one of our top choices.

Bekka: Where did you get your inspiration from and how did you decide on what your invitations would look like?Melanie: I got a lot of help from Ruth at Ann Elizabeth. I picked a couple of invitations they had previously made and took a little of each and made it my own. I loved the pockets and texture of the papers I chose. One of my wedding colors wash blush so that was the accent color in my invitations. The kaleidoscope added a nice contrast and the beige tied it all in.

Bekka: Did you have a favorite part of your invitation and was there any feature of your invitations that people complimented you on most?Melanie: I loved that it was completely my own custom made invitation. No one had one like it and everyone complimented me on the quality and ease of finding information.

Bekka: Some brides take inspiration from their invitations and will incorporate it into their wedding decor did you find yourself doing that?Melanie: The blush accent I found was definitely a theme throughout my wedding.

Bekka: Do you feel that your invitations set the tone for your event?Melanie: Yes, I wanted the invitations to look elegant and romantic, which characterized the feel of my wedding.

Bekka: From your experience do you have any advice for brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations and were there any lesson you learned through your creative process?Melanie: I would advise other brides to be patient through the creative process. It takes some time and several proofs so I recommend planning ahead. The representatives at Ann Elizabeth made the process very easy and fun. They really help you with every step and were great to work with. They made the whole experience stress free.

Bekka: You had what we call a “destination wedding” how would you describe your experiences with all the planning and details that go into this type of wedding?Melanie: The nice thing about a destination wedding is that you have a wedding coordinator that plans every single detail for you. I just made a powerpoint with the themes, colors, flowers, food, etc. that I was looking for and they took care of everything. My main focus was having to worry about getting the word out (or save the date and website) to your guests on time so that they can plan accordingly.

Bekka: What was your favorite part of having a destination wedding and would you recommend it to other brides?Melanie: My favorite part of having a destination wedding was that I had all my friends and family in my favorite place in the whole world for a week. Never will I have all of these important people in my life at the same place at the same time in a beautiful paradise. It created memories that I will cherish forever.

Bekka: Your pictures are so beautiful and your whole wedding party was having so much fun in celebrating your big day with you. One picture we love is the jumping in the pool, how did that come about?Melanie: After dancing the night away at the wedding reception, we decided to cool off by taking jumping in the (very cold) pool. We decided to all go in our dress attire and all together and it made for the perfect picture. It was pretty chilly afterwards, we hadn’t thought of that nor the fact that we then had to make our way back to our rooms and villas in soaking clothes. It was worth it though!

Bekka: Melanie again we are just thrilled to have you as our May bride and thank you for taking the time to talk with me and share the details of your fabulous destination wedding!

See something above that you’ve absolutely got to have for your wedding? We’re making it easy for you. Below is a list of Melanie's vendors:

April 2014: Charlotte Haws-Frey!

This month we wanted to take a look back at one of our winter brides so cozy up for this Rustic Winter wedding. Charlotte is such sweet gal and full of charisma so naturally she was the perfect pick. Her personality shines through during our interview while her pictures capture who Charlotte truly is!

The Interview:

Bekka: Charlotte, what was the inspiration for the design of your invitation and was there one thing you had to have to make it all come to life?Charlotte: We were married at Log Haven Restaurant on December thirtieth, and I wanted our invitations to reflect both the rustic locale as well as the winter season. The natural colors with the bright red ink and backer, as well as the pinecone details on the invitations and envelope liners, really helped me accomplish that goal. I love those little pinecones. They were my favorite part of the invitations.

Bekka: Do you feel your invitation set the tone for your wedding and how?Charlotte: Absolutely. We wanted to throw a great party for our friends and family, and I think the scripts on the invitations are fun and inviting. We also incorporated the simple, rustic theme of our invitations into our decorations. We used pine boughs, ivory candles, and red ribbons for the table and aisle decorations, as well as pinecones, of course.

Bekka: What advice would you give to brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations?Charlotte: Don’t be afraid to edit. There are a million ways to make great invitations. You can’t pick them all. Less is more.

Bekka: Your venue was Log Haven, what made you choose that location?Charlotte: For a rustic winter wedding, I can’t imagine a better location! It was cold and snowy outside in the woods, but we were tucked in our cozy little cabin with our favorite people. It was incredibly warm and intimate. The candles, twinkle lights, and big central fireplace lit up the all the beautiful, natural wood in the restaurant. The food was absolutely amazing, of course, and I can’t imagine a more helpful staff. My husband and I live in Portland, Oregon and the wedding planner on-site, Faith Sweeten, was a lifesaver. She kept us organized and ensured that everything went smoothly. She thought of important things that never would have crossed my mind.

Bekka: When it comes to planning a wedding it takes so many great vendors. Tell us a bit about some of the vendors you used in creating your rustic chic wedding?Charlotte: I feel really lucky to have picked the right people! Kelly Sansom, at Gallery Photography, was our photographer. He came very highly recommended and still exceeding our expectations. The pictures speak for themselves. Debbie Achter, at Abandoned Fields, is a long-time family friend and did our flowers and decorations. She has an amazing eye for color and aesthetics. The flower girls’ crowns and the berry boutonnières were my favorite details. Valerie Muhlstein and Nichole Forsey did hair and make-up for me and my bridesmaids. They made everyone look unbelievably beautiful and added tremendously to the fun of the day. Spending the morning with my favorite people AND these talented ladies was one of the highlights of the wedding. Michael Lucarelli played the classical guitar for our processional and recessional and made time prior to the wedding to learn the accompaniment and to rehearse the song that was sung during the wedding. He is so talented. Many of our guests commented on how impressed they were by the music. Mario Bush was our DJ. That man knows how to keep a party going. I was planning on throwing my bouquet and having a big, dramatic exit, but Joe and I could not stop dancing. We had to stay to the end of the night. We were just having too much fun to leave.

Bekka: Looking back was there anything you wished you’d done different?Charlotte: I wish I had trusted my instincts more and worried less about what people would think about my style choices. I was frequently overwhelmed by the number of choices I had to make, but it is only for one day. It’s important to remember that and have fun.

Bekka: How would you sum up your overall experience your wedding had for you and your new hubby?Charlotte: It was a wonderful way to start our lives together! We were both so grateful for all of the kindness and love directed our way and all the effort that was made on our behalf. So many people contributed time, money, and talent to celebrate our union. So many people traveled from across the country to be there. At the end of the day, I really was overwhelmed with gratitude for, not only my handsome new husband, but also for all the amazing people in my life.

Bekka: Charlotte thanks for taking the time to talk with me and share all the fun details of your wedding!

See something above that you’ve absolutely got to have for your wedding? We’re making it easy for you. Below is a list of Charlotte’s vendors:

March 2014: Madison Farrar-Ayoso!

With winter starting to fade away I welcome our March Bride of the Month Madison Farrar-Ayoso. Madi is such a fun bride, her bubbly personality and sweet spirit radiated throughout our interview. You can’t help but fall in love when looking at all the photos from her wedding! With soft tones of coral and a subtle damask design, her invitation tied all the details together beautifully!

The Interview:

Bekka: Madison, when you first started thinking about your invitation did you know what you wanted or did it just evolve over time?Madison: I definitely did not know what I wanted at first. I was looking online for ideas but I never really had my mind set on any particular design. When I went into Ann Elizabeth and got to see all the different proofs, it really helped me envision what I wanted my own to look like.

Bekka: What is your favorite part of your invitation and was there any feature of your invitations that people complimented you on most?Madison: My favorite part of our invitation was the whole thing! Ha-ha I really loved how everything turned out! It was so elaborately done and customized for us! People complimented me the most about the colors and layout of the invitation and how beautiful the whole invitation was.

Bekka: Most brides want their invitation to convey to guests the tone of the event. Do you feel that your invitation did just that?Madison: Yes definitely, the colors and the style conveyed exactly the tone of our wedding.

Bekka: Tell us about the vendors you chose to help create your fabulous wedding!Madison:Wedding location and dinner: St Regis Deer ValleySt. Regis Deer Valley is not only gorgeous, Catherine Johnson, the wedding coordinator made planning my wedding so easy! She did everything, we just had to let her know what we wanted and they took care of setting up and taking down for the wedding. They were so accommodating and wanted to make sure my day was perfect and they did! They also include all the food for the wedding. Their chef prepared the most delicious food and the presentation of the food was beautiful. Our guests had the option of steak, chicken, or a vegetarian option. And of course the kalua (pig) prepared by my husband’s father. Bryce is Polynesian so it’s very traditional to include kalua at weddings.

Photographer:Jessie Alexis with Jessie Alexis Photography.
My aunt found her for me! She was such a sweetheart and we were so comfortable with her! Her work is beautiful and I love love how our photos turned out. She captured all the special moments of our perfect day!

Hair: Brittney Edwards.
I have known Brittney for a very long time! We knew each other when we both lived in Georgia. When I moved to Utah I started going to Brittany for my hair and haven’t been anywhere since! She works out of Salon K in the Riverwoods. She always makes hair look so beautiful and I am so happy she was able to do my bridesmaids and my hair!

Make-up: Jessica PowellI met Jessica through a mutual friend, Cassidy Heriford, she started her own business called Wax That in Pleasant Grove and can cater to literally any beauty need! She is the best and I loved my make-up!

Flowers: Wendy with Flower AffairMy cousin used Wendy for her wedding last year and I absolutely loved her work. The flowers for our wedding were stunning! They ‘turned out beyond what I had imagined! She also did our candy station for guests to make a “to-go” bag in as a thank you for coming to the wedding! She not only was our florist, she decorated for us too! She was able to find miniature pineapples and put them in the arrangements and guests loved them! They were so cute!

Cake: Snow Park Bakery & Layers CakeSt. Regis referred me to this bakery and they completely customized our cake and made it exactly what we wanted! We also had Layers Cake do Bryce’s grooms cake and it was amazing! Bryce played baseball for BYU so my mom and I wanted to make his groom cake include something baseball related and Layers Cake designed his cake to include a baseball and Hawaiian theme! It was perfect!

Dress: Bridal ExpressionsI found my dress at Bridal Expressions. My cousin and I were getting ready to leave the store when she said “Madi! You have to try this one on!” So I did and immediately knew it was the one!

Leis: Bryce had our leis flown in from Hawaii. His was the traditional Maile lei and mine was a ginger lei. They were so beautiful. I loved how they turned out! His family made the rest of the leis for family members to wear. Our brother -in- law, Julian Pinney, also did the Maile leis for all the groomsmen. All the leis were so pretty!

Bekka: What advice would you give to brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations?Madison: My best advice is to be open-minded and to look online or meet with an invitation specialist to get ideas to create and personalize your wedding invitations. There are so many different designs to choose from that sometimes it can become overwhelming, but for me seeing other invitations, I was able to take what I liked from multiple invitations and create exactly what I wanted!

Bekka: How would you describe the overall experience of your wedding?Madison: The overall experience my wedding had for my husband and I was beyond anything we could have imagined. The day went by so fast it almost seems like a blur looking back. It really was a fairytale for us. Our guests were definitely huge attributes in making our day even more special. The dancing was so fun and I loved how everyone partook in dancing. Our friends all told us they had so much fun and everything about our wedding was beautiful. The overall experience for everyone was amazing!

Bekka: Madison thanks for taking the time to talk with me and share all the fun details of your wedding!

See something above that you’ve absolutely got to have for your wedding? We’re making it easy for you. Below is a list of Madison's vendors:

January 2014: Bree Woolstenhulme-Wilkins!

Lets bring in the New Year with a whole lot of glitz and glam with this month's bride of the month Bree Woolstenhulme-Wilkins!

We are excited to feature Bree along with the fact that she planned, organized, and even made her own dress for her fabulous wedding. Bree loves fashion and talks about how she is pursuing a career in wedding planning; so taking on the task of planning her own wedding really showed just how talent she is!

The Interview

Bekka: Bree when you came to Ann Elizabeth did you know the style of invitation you wanted?Bree: I knew I wanted mint green paper and gold foil. I had seen something on Pinterest with that color scheme and I thought it was perfect. I am a planner and I love weddings so I had many ideas and print outs of what I wanted. Ann Elizabeth helped me put everything together perfectly. It was such a stress-free process.

Bekka: What is your favorite part of your invitation?Bree: All of it! To this day I wouldn’t change a thing. I LOVE the fonts and the colors. Obviously the gold foil is absolutely stunning. I also loved the envelopes – I know that may sound weird, but the font was SO beautiful.

Bekka: Was there any feature of your invitations that people complimented you on most?Bree: My invitations were classy but unique and many people said it was their favorite invitation they’d seen. I wanted to add even more of my personal flare to the invitations so I cut strands of navy chiffon (my other wedding color) and tied bows around the invitation and photo. It took a very long time and thankfully I had a lot of help, but it was well worth it in the end.

Bekka: Did you incorporate any elements from your invitation into the decor of your wedding?Bree: I had most of my wedding planned well before I was actually engaged. My husband and I had dated since 2005 when we were sophomores in high school, so it was a long time coming. Since wedding planning is a career path I am extremely interested in, the decorations and theme of my wedding was picked out cohesively with my invitation design. My main wedding color was gold with mint green and navy accents. I chose a metallic paper to add a little shimmer (I am a sparkle girl, if you couldn’t tell by my dress) so that, matched with the gold foil, worked magically. I used the same mint cardstock in all of the signs I made.

Bekka: Do you feel that your invitations set the tone for your event?Bree: They definitely did!! I feel that when people saw our invitation it not only looked like my husband and my personality but it 100% matched the tone of our wedding. They knew by our invitation that our wedding would be classy and elegant with a touch of sparkle and creativity.

Bekka: What advice would you give to brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations?Bree: It is so extremely easy now to be inspired thanks to Pinterest. I remember years ago when I would clip from bridal magazines and tape them into inspiration journals or save thousands of images on my computer… thankfully those days are gone. There are so many wonderful wedding blogs and inspiration shoots. I created a whole Pinterest account just for my wedding and would re-pin anything and everything I liked. Soon you will start to see a theme in your pins and once you do, the time has come to schedule an appointment with Ann Elizabeth. They will help you design a perfect invitation based on the aspects you most love! Plus, you don’t have to know exactly what you want right away. The font and writing is all picked out through online proofs so you can take your time (if you have it).

Bekka: We love how unique your dress is. How was it making your own wedding gown?Bree: Designing wedding dresses and formal wear is my passion, which is why I decided to peruse an Associate’s Degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology after I graduated high school. Ever since I can remember I had been sketching and accumulating ideas for my wedding. I took the semester off of school to design and make my wedding gown. I started on the bottom half of my gown first because that design was pretty solidified in my head. After countless hours of hand-sewing organza and chiffon flowers with hundreds of beads the skirt part was complete and I was in love! The top proved to be more difficult. I could not pick one idea to stick with. There were so many elements I wanted to incorporate and when I finally designed the final bodice I knew it was the perfect match. I sewed on every bead and rhinestone while catching up on Netflix and missing my fiancé who was interning in another state at the time. After more than 250 hours of labor and over 3,000 beads the dress was complete and it was exactly what I wanted! I am so incredibly grateful for the education I received at FIT that made it possible for me to create my dream wedding gown.

Bekka: Planning a wedding can get overwhelming how did you stay organized and on top of it all?Bree: Many many many word documents and excel spreadsheets, and my amazing mother and fiancé who were on the receiving end of my excessive emails with thorough instructions of everyone’s to-do list and what needed to get done. I made a big wedding binder with about 15 tabs of every aspect of the wedding and kept all my files there. There were a lot of printed pins and inspiration, multiple budget planning calculations, swatches of fabric, vendor phone numbers, and about one hundred to-do lists. Thanks to my support team and my nine months of wedding planning everything got finished and my wedding day was more perfect than I imagined.

Bekka: Bree thanks for taking the time to talk with us and share the fabulous details of your wedding!

See something above that you’ve absolutely got to have for your wedding? We’re making it easy for you. Below is a list of Bree's vendors:

November 2013: Rachel Brooks-Cardon!

Rachel is such a delight to work with and all of us at Ann Elizabeth couldn’t be happier to feature her wedding this month. She talk's about how much her mother really helped in the planning of details that made Rachel's wedding day truly timeless!

Bekka: Rachel so now that the wedding and honeymoon are over how is married life?Rachel: Well-married life so far has just been hanging with my best friend all the time. I mean we spent basically all our time together before the wedding, but now there are constant sleepovers and a heck of a lot less stress to worry about! We really couldn’t be happier. We share the same sense of humor and I never get tired of laughing with him. He’s my everything any problems that arise just seem so much more bearable having him with me. My family has been the greatest support to us and he’s the best addition we could have ever asked for! I found my other half and I’m shocked I can look at him and know he’s mine forever. If married life continues to get better from here, I would definitely say it’s my best decision yet! I highly recommend it!

Bekka: We loved your invitation; the lace overlay gave such a soft romantic feel. Did you know what you were looking for when dreaming up your invitation?Rachel: Well I didn’t have an exact image in my head walking in, but surely enough my mom did! She really helped me decide a timeless look that had a real “wow” factor to it. With the help we received at Ann Elizabeth I really got the invitation I always wanted. I loved the lace over our picture because it just seemed so elegant and unique. I had been receiving so many wedding invitations from friends and family prior to our wedding and I have to admit they all seemed so similar to one another. I felt our wedding invitation stood out and it’s something to really remember. I loved it and it turned out perfect.

Bekka: What is your favorite part of your invitation and was there any feature of your invitation that people complimented you on most?Rachel: Well the whole presentation of our invitation gave us compliment after compliment. People LOVED IT. I still get compliments on it from time to time. People also loved the single picture we put in with it. I couldn’t just pick one thing that I loved most. I really felt every decision and detail we put into it made it the perfect invitation for us.

Bekka: Some brides take inspiration from their invitation and use it in the decor of the venue. Did you incorporate anything from your invitation?Rachel: Oh for sure. Most of my wedding had this elegant Gatsby feel to it. I used the lace on my dress to help design my invitation and then the lace became a central theme. I used the exact same lace in my invitations as the background for all signs around the house. The table clothes we’re lacy and elegant and even my bridal book was lace. My wedding was spot on with the invitation. I really don’t think it could have been better.

Bekka: Do you feel that your invitations set the tone for your event?Rachel: The invitation set the perfect mood. Our wedding was a semi formal event and when people received our announcement they were calling me asking me if they needed to go and rent tuxes for the event! We had a good laugh about it, but some people really did show up dressed to the nines and it was a blast.

Bekka: What advice would you give to brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations?Rachel: I would tell them to find what they love and run with it. I only started out knowing that I wanted a lace dress that was unique and timeless. Once I found the dress I knew I wanted to plan a wedding that would match the feel of my dress. From there we planned the invitations and it all started to fall into place. The best advise I received from friends and family was- it is your wedding, well, and the grooms, but it’s really YOUR wedding! Make it your own, choose what you want, and love your choices!

Bekka: Is there a lesson you learned through your creative process in dreaming up your invitations you’d like to share?Rachel: Honestly, I really have to thank my mom for the invitation blueprint. She was the one that suggested it and I fell in love with it. We worked out the details together and made it perfect. I’m not sure if I would have thought it up all on my own. I’m so glad I had a mom that not only had great ideas, but also helped me create my perfect wedding. So the lesson learned is that having someone close to you helping plan isn’t a bad thing at all. If they want the best for you, I feel that two heads (or more) is better than one! And it makes it so much more fun.

Bekka: How would you describe your wedding day; anything unexpected (good or bad) or did everything go perfectly as planned.Rachel: We wished we would have had slightly better weather in the evening at the reception, but a little rain never hurt anybody! Everything went as planned as far as I know. I think the only thing I would have changed was the in-law drama! Oh a wedding wouldn't be a wedding without some drama, would it? All in good fun, the funniest joke I heard around the time of the wedding was “What’s the difference between In-laws and out-laws? -Out-laws are wanted!” I guess without the drama we wouldn’t have the funny stories to tell to our kids in the future! Nonetheless, it still ended up being our perfect day. It does go by fast though. It’s just such a crazy exciting day that I swear Shane and I didn’t even eat till we got to Park City that night! It might have gone by in a blur, but it sure was an unforgettable day. The friends and family that came made it such a special occasion for us and I got everything I ever wanted. I really appreciate all the help and support that we received and I loved every moment of it.

Bekka: Rachel thanks for taking the time to talk with me and share the details of your beautiful wedding!

See something above that you’ve absolutely got to have for your wedding? We’re making it easy for you. Below is a list of Rachel's vendors:

2013: Lea Simmons-Hedstrom!

We’re excited to have Lea Simmons-Hedstrom as our October Bride of the Month! Lea’s down to earth personality and love for nature’s beauty really showed throughout her invitations suite and into the décor and setting of her venue. Her simple, yet elegant, design for her invitations complemented the warm colors and soft texture of the paper pairing it perfectly with Log Haven's beautiful backdrops. Lea’s amazing team of vendors like Michelle Leo Events, Jacque Lynn Photography, Sax Romney, and Layers Cake made this wedding a favorite in our book!

Interviewer: How is married life and do you feel any different?Lea: Married life is amazing! I feel truly blessed to have found the perfect life partner and we couldn’t be happier. We had such an amazing relationship before the wedding and nothing really feels any different…other than getting used to saying a new last name.

Interviewer: Where did you get your inspiration from when designing your invitations and did you know exactly what you wanted or did you have a bunch of ideas?Lea: I searched many different websites including Pinterest and came across a photographers blog in California who had the most beautiful pictures of weddings in vineyards. I fell in love with one of the weddings and took a lot of ideas from that wedding. We wanted a "winery meets the mountains" style of wedding.

Interviewer: What is your favorite part of your invitations?Lea: The TWIG!! I had seen a twig when I was searching for ideas almost a year before our wedding and I had my heart set on having the perfect twig on the invitations. I wanted something simple and elegant to bring a little of Utah and the outdoors to our invitations and Ann found the absolute perfect twig for me. I was so excited when she sent it; I called my mom right away to tell her!

Interviewer: Was there any feature of your invitations that people complimented you on most?Lea: I had talked to a lot of my friends and family about them when they received them and they loved the colors and said the style seemed to fit my personality perfectly. I had a friend tell me the invitation looked exactly like me! I also had a lot of compliments on the pocket on the invitation. It seemed it was easy for everyone to keep everything together. I didn’t realize how handy that would turn out.

Interviewer: Some brides take the theme of their invitation and tie it into their wedding decor did you use anything from your invitation?Lea: We had Ann design the invitation as well as a thank you note to tie together with ribbon on the place settings that had the same twig as the invitations. Which again I LOVED! The color and style of paper was the same. We felt the style worked perfectly at Log Haven.

Interviewer: Do you feel that your invitations set the tone for your wedding?Lea: Yes, it was the perfect way to tie together elegance, simplicity and nature. Our wedding was at Log Haven which has such an elegant romantic log cabin feel.

Interviewer: What advice would you give to brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations?Lea: Don’t get overwhelmed by Pinterest!!! When I started looking at ideas I was so overwhelmed with all of the options. I would advise brides to maybe pick a single idea or theme and then start searching for ideas on Pinterest or in magazines that match the theme. It was also very helpful to have the initial invitation consultation with Ruth who was able to show me several examples. It’s a good place to start. Go with what fits your personality and have fun with it!

Interviewer: How would you describe your wedding day and was there anything that happened that you didn’t expect - good or bad?Lea: I don’t even know how to express how amazing our wedding day/weekend was. We had perfect weather and all of our close family and friends were able to come from out of state to support us. The scenery at Log Haven just made it so magical. We had a waterfall, mountains, trees and beautiful flowers everywhere, what could be more romantic?! I was so stressed out that week thinking that nothing would come together as I had planned and I remember seeing the bus arrive with our guests and it hit me that everything was falling into place perfectly. I’m usually in charge of everything so letting other people take the reigns was difficult for me. We had such an amazing team that literally gave 500% and had everything set up better than I could ever have imagined. Our photographer took us in to do a look at the dining room before all of our guests came in and I broke down in tears when I saw how beautiful it was. It was my fairytale wedding for sure.

Interviewer: How was your experience with Ann Elizabeth and our proofing system?Lea: It was such a pleasure to work with everyone at Ann Elizabeth. Ruth is an absolute doll! I don’t know what I would have done without out her. Every time I received a proof I was so excited because it just kept getting better and kept turning out exactly the way I had envisioned. I would hope that every bride could have the opportunity to find Ann Elizabeth.

Interviewer: Lea it was a pleasure working with you throughout the whole process and we are thrilled to have you as our October Bride of the Month!

See something above that you've absolutely got to have for your wedding? We're making it easy for you. Below is a list of Lea's vendors:

September 2013: Whitney Olch Bishop!

This month we are featuring Whitney Olch Bishop and how she pulled off her wedding in just three short months. This is when having a wedding planner is a must! As Whitney said about her wedding planner “I got engaged in March and married in June and Meredith Parsons pulled all of the details together.” I have to agree with Whitney; Meredith Parsons did an amazing job with getting all the vendors and details to beautifully come together. Her wedding and reception were held at the luxurious St. Regis Deer Valley. Whitney describes her experience with St. Regis, as “Katherine Johnson the wedding coordinator is AWESOME!” She also loved her DJ “Michael Antonia – BEST DJ EVER! He is based in LA.” Having an expert photographer like Pepper Nix gave Whitney memories to look back on for years to come!

Interviewer: Whitney I have to admit my favorite invitation this summer is yours! I absolutely love the design and how much it complimented the thermography. Just looking at it and the feel of the raised ink when holding it in my hands was love at first sight! Tell me about the process you went through in dreaming up your invitations. Where did you get your inspiration from and how did you decide what your invitations would look like?Whitney: Pinterest. There are hundreds of options and ideas on Pinterest but a few that stuck out to me as inspiration piece. I also know my style and the type of wedding I was having, so I knew what my invitations needed to convey.

Interviewer: Do you feel your invitations helped you to set the tone for your wedding?Whitney: Yes, definitely.

Interviewer: What is your favorite part of your invitations and was there any feature of your invitations that people complimented you on most?Whitney: Hard to say, I love all of the different prints. I am also very happy with the paper I selected. I also received lots of compliments on how well done the invitations were for such a short engagement period.

Interviewer: Were there any lessons you learned through your creative process in dreaming up your invitations you’d like to share?Whitney: Proof read and use a second set of eyes. I made a couple of mistakes on my printed pieces that my groom caught; one before it was too late and the other not, but Ann Elizabeth was able to creatively solve the issue.

Interviewer: Did you use any elements from your invitation that were incorporated into the decor at your wedding venue?Whitney: I wanted the palette for my invitations and all of my printed items throughout the weekend to be subtle and similar to the decor at the wedding.

Interviewer: What advice would you give to brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations?Whitney: Pinterest is an excellent resource and an easy way to communicate with Ann Elizabeth (or whomever designs your invitations) on what you like and don’t like. I would also tell brides not to over think details, make a decision and move on. I was engaged in March and married in June, so I didn’t have an opportunity to pick a theme or a color scheme and carry it all of the way through; I had to make decisions quickly and not in a traditional order and everything turned out perfectly.

Interviewer: How was your experience coming into the studio and working with the Ann Elizabeth team?Whitney: I was really only in the studio once and it was only for a short time, but I was able to pick my papers then and everything after that we handled via Pinterest and email.

Interviewer: Whitney it was a pleasure working with you and I’d like to thank you for taking the time to talk with me and share the details of your wedding!

Interviewer: A fun side note about Whitney is she designed her own ring and “OC Tanner executed it!” She also had the groomsmen ties and bridesmaid dresses all uniquely different like “ the different invitations pieces.” For wedding favors they did a donation to the Park City Foundation, had a candy bar and cute cloth bags for out of town guests.

See something above that you've absolutely got to have for your wedding? We're making it easy for you. Below is a list of Whitney's vendors:

August 2013: Jenae Jackson-West!

We’d like to congratulate Jenae on her recent marriage and are excited to feature her this month as our Bride of the Month! Jenae has such a down to earth personality and it shows from her invitations to all the details that brought her dream wedding to life.

Interviewer: Now that your big day is all through, have you recuperated?Jenae: Jason (my husband) and I moved to Texas for the summer less than a week after we got married with our honeymoon in between. It was very exciting but I still don’t know how we did it. Now that things are slowing down and we are getting into our life together I am definitely recuperating. I do have some days when I wake up in the morning and my heart is racing because I think I forgot to call the caterers, check my email, or make some appointment, so it might be a few more weeks before I can totally get the wedding planning out of my head!

Interviewer: We felt that the striking grey ink paired with the soft green you chose for your invitation was so complimentary and we especially liked the envelope wrapping. Tell me about the process you went through in dreaming up your invitations. Where did you get your inspiration from and how did you decide on what your invitations would look like?Jenae: I knew I wanted something that people would remember, something that would catch their attention right from the start, but not because it was bold or brightly colored. I have always been a girl that loves the natural beauty of the outdoors, which is what inspired my entire wedding. With that in mind I knew for the most part the colors of ink I would want to use and what kind of paper. It was working with Ann through the design process that brought all my ideas together. Once we got down to my final three proofs, it was an easy decision because we had created exactly what I wanted.

Interviewer: What is your favorite part of your invitations?Jenae: I loved my envelopes. I loved how it caught my guests’ attention right when they opened their mailbox. The envelopes definitely expressed the theme of my wedding before they even opened it by making a subtle statement. The way the invitation was held together with the graphite pocket envelope as well made it very fun to unwrap and unfold.

Interviewer: What feature of your invitations have the most people complimented you on and did anyone mention the unique look of your envelopes?Jenae: Several people complimented me on how well the theme flowed through out the entire invitation. From the envelope, to the main invitation, to insert cards, the invitations really did express the garden feel of my wedding. Many guests told me that they were the prettiest invitations they had ever received. One of my guests told me that she had given the invitation to her daughter to hold on to as an example for when her little girls plan their weddings.

Interviewer: Have you taken any elements from your invitation to use throughout your wedding decor?Jenae: Yes, my mother and I made a rosemary/peppermint lip balm as wedding favors for our wedding guests. The labels, which we placed on the tins, included the same monogram, date, and leaf design that was on the monogram cards that we had attached to the graphite pocket envelopes. I have also noticed as I look back on my invitations, that the flower image that we used throughout the invitation was very similar to the flowers and greenery I had in my bouquet as well as the other arrangements my florist put together.

Interviewer: Do you feel that your invitations set the tone for your event?Jenae: Very much so. I feel like before people came to our wedding they had an idea as to what to except, that it would be very natural looking and have a garden feel that definitely came across in the design of my invitations.

Interviewer: What advice would you give to brides who are looking to gather inspiration for their wedding invitations?Jenae: Look at your entire wedding as a whole. You want all of the little details and pieces of your wedding to fit together and your invitations are what your guests are going to be seeing first. Make your guests anticipate what your upcoming wedding events might be like.

Interviewer: Is there a lesson you learned through your creative process in dreaming up your invitations you’d like to share?Jenae: Create something that you love and feel expresses you as a couple. Don’t settle for something less than what you have in mind because you think it isn’t an option or possible.

Interviewer: How was your experience with Ann Elizabeth?Jenae: I absolutely loved working with Ann and Ruth! I remember telling my mom as we left our first consult that I wanted to work at Ann Elizabeth’s or start a business like it because it was so much fun! I had checked a couple other invitation places before I went to Ann Elizabeth and always felt restricted. As I went through all the possibilities and production process with Ann, she had a way of creating and putting together what I had envisioned. Ann and I were able to create something that not only expressed the theme of my wedding, but me and my style as well.

Interviewer: Jenae thank you for taking the time to talk with us and share the details of your wedding!

See something above that you've absolutely got to have for your wedding? We're making it easy for you. Below is a list of Jenae’s vendors: